I recently came across a video that acts as a good reminder that when coming upon a mother bear and her cubs, stay alert, and don't think just because you're in your car you're free from potential harm.

While a large portion of bear in the United States have either begun, or will soon enter into a hibernation period which will last roughly three to four months, the chances of encountering one in the wild are still high this time of year. Every year we see numerous videos shared to social media that show confrontations played out between wild animals and people, and more times than not, an animal's threatening behavior is a result of people doing things they shouldn't.

A YouTube video from last year is a perfect example of this type of exchange. In this case, the motorist should have killed the engine and given this mother bear and her offspring enough space to clear the highway. Instead, the driver proceeded to pass within a few feet of one of the cubs, who was struggling to climb the snow bank. Not approaching these animals, whether it be on foot or in an automobile, is rule number one regarding the things we as humans shouldn't do in these situations.

This bear could have easily punctured any of the tires on this vehicle, which could have potentially created a whole new world of problems for the motorist. It's again just another example of how quickly these types of mistakes made by humans could result in a completely avoidable safety threat, to both the animal and human.

Yellowstone Park Snowmobiling

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